Express Trust; Prescription (1997)
On 01 January 1980, Redentor and Remedies entered into an agreement by virtue of which the former was to register a parcel of land in the name of Remedies under the explicit covenant to reconvey the land to Remigio, son of Redentor, upon the son’s graduation from college. In 1981, the land was registered in the name of Remedies.
Redentor died a year later or in 1982. In March 1983, Remigio graduated from college. In February 1992, Remigio accidentally found a copy of the document so constituting Remedies as the trustee of the land. In May 1994, Remigio filed a case against Remedies for the reconveyance of the land to him. Remedies, in her answer, averred that the action already prescribed. How should the matter be decided?
SUGGESTED ANSWER:
The matter should be decided in favor of Remigio (trustee) because the action has not prescribed. The case at bar involves an express trust which does not prescribe as long as they have not been repudiated by the trustee (Diaz vs. Gorricho, 103Phil,261).
Implied Trust (1998)
Juan and his sister Juana inherited from their mother two parcels of farmland with exactly the same areas. For convenience, the Torrens certificates of title covering both lots were placed in Juan’s name alone. In 1996, Juan sold to an innocent purchaser one parcel in its entirety without the knowledge and consent of Juana, and wrongfully kept for himself the entire price paid.
1. What rights of action, if any, does Juana have against and/or the buyer?
2. Since the two lots have the same area, suppose Juana flies a complaint to have herself declared sole owner of the entire remaining second lot, contending that her brother had forfeited his share thereof by wrongfully disposing of her undivided share in the first lot. Will the suit prosper? [2%]
SUGGESTED ANSWER:
1. When, for convenience, the Torrens title to the two parcels of land were placed in Joan’s name alone, there was created an implied trust (a resulting trust) for the benefit of Juana with Juan as trustee of one-half undivided or ideal portion of each of the two lots. Therefore, Juana can file an action for damages against Joan for having fraudulently sold one of the two parcels which he partly held in trust for Juana’s benefit. Juana may claim actual or compensatory damage for the loss of her share in the land; moral damages for the mental anguish, anxiety, moral shock and wounded feelings she had suffered; exemplary damage by way of example for the common good, and attorney’s fees. Juana has no cause of action against the buyer who acquired the land for value and in good faith, relying on the transfer certificate of title showing that Juan is the registered owner of the land.
ANOTHER ANSWER:
1. Under Article 476 of the Civil Code, Juana can file an action for quieting of title as there is a cloud in the title to the subject real property. Second, Juana can also file an action for damages against Juan, because the settled rule is that the proper recourse of the true owner of the property who was prejudiced and fraudulently dispossessed of the same is to bring an action for damages against those who caused or employed the same. Third, since Juana had the right to her share in the property by way of inheritance, she can demand the partition of the thing owned in common, under Article 494 of the Civil Code, and ask that the title to the remaining property be declared as exclusively hers.
However, since the farmland was sold to an innocent purchaser for value, then Juana has no cause of action against the buyer consistent with the established rule that the rights of an innocent purchaser for value must be respected and protected notwithstanding the fraud employed by the seller in securing his title (Eduarte vs. CA, 253 SCRA 391).
ADDITIONAL ANSWER:
1. Juana has the right of action to recover (a) her one-half share in the proceeds of the sale with legal interest thereof, and (b) such damages as she may be able to prove as having been suffered by her, which may include actual or compensatory damages as well as moral and exemplary damages due to the breach of trust and bad faith (Imperial vs. CA, 259 SCRA 65). Of course, if the buyer knew of the co-ownership over the lot he was buying, Juana can seek (c) reconvenyance of her one-half share instead but she must implead the buyer as co-defendant and allege his bad faith in purchasing the entire lot. Finally, consistent with the ruling in Imperial us. CA. Juana may seek instead (d) a declaration that she is now the sole owner of the entire remaining lot on the theory that Juan has forfeited his one- half share therein.
ADDITIONAL ANSWER:
1. Juana can file an action for damages against Juan for having fraudulently sold one of the two parcels which he partly held in trust for Juana’s benefit. Juana may claim actual or compensatory damage for the loss of her share in the land; moral damages for the mental anguish, anxiety, moral shock and wounded feelings she had suffered; exemplary damage by way of example for the common good, and attorney’s fees.
Juana has no cause of action against the buyer who acquired the land for value and in good faith, relying on the transfer certificate showing that Juan is the registered owner of the land.
SUGGESTED ANSWER:
2. Juana’s suit to have herself declared as sole owner of the entire remaining area will not prosper because while Juan’s act in selling the other lot was wrongful. It did not have the legal effect of forfeiting his share in the remaining lot. However, Juana can file an action against Juan for partition or termination of the co-ownership with a prayer that the lot sold be adjudicated to Juan, and the remaining lot be adjudicated and reconveyed to her.
ANOTHER ANSWER:
2. The suit will prosper, applying the ruling in Imperial vs. CA cited above. Both law and equity authorize such a result, said the Supreme Court.
Strictly speaking, Juana’s contention that her brother had forfeited his share in the second lot is incorrect. Even if the two lots have the same area, it does not follow that they have the same value. Since the sale of the first lot on the Torrens title in the name of Juan was valid, all that Juana may recover is the value of her undivided interest therein, plus damages. In addition, she can ask for partition or reconveyance of her undivided interest in the second lot, without prejudice to any agreement between them that in lieu of the payment of the value of Juana’s share in the first lot and damages, the second lot be reconveyed to her.
ALTERNATIVE ANSWER:
2. The suit will not prosper, since Juan’s wrongful act of pocketing the entire proceeds of the sale of the first lot is not a ground for divesting him of his rights as a co-owner of the second lot. Indeed, such wrongdoing by Juan does not constitute, for the benefit of Juana, any of the modes of acquiring ownership under Art. 712, Civil Code.
Trust; Implied Resulting Trust (1995)
In 1960, Maureen purchased two lots in a plush subdivision registering Lot 1 in her name and Lot 2 in the name of her brother Walter with the latter’s consent. The idea was to circumvent a subdivision policy against the acquisition of more than one lot by one buyer. Maureen constructed a house on Lot 1 with an extension on Lot 2 to serve as a guest house. In 1987, Walter who had suffered serious business losses demanded that Maureen remove the extension house since the lot on which the extension was built was his property. In 1992, Maureen sued for the reconveyance to her of Lot 2 asserting that a resulting trust was created when she had the lot registered in Walter’s name even if she paid the purchase price. Walter opposed the suit arguing that assuming the existence of a resulting trust the action of Maureen has already prescribed since ten years have already elapsed from the registration of the title in his name. Decide. Discuss fully.
SUGGESTED ANSWER:
This is a case of an implied resulting trust. If Walter claims to have acquired ownership of the land by prescription or if he anchors his defense on extinctive prescription, the ten year period must be reckoned from 1987 when he demanded that Maureen remove the extension house on Lot No. 2 because such demand amounts to an express repudiation of the trust and it was made known to Maureen. The action for reconveyance filed in 1992 is not yet barred by prescription. (Spouses Huang v. Court of Appeals, Sept. 13, 1994).
From the ANSWERS TO BAR EXAMINATION QUESTIONS in CIVIL LAW by the UP LAW COMPLEX and PHILIPPINE ASSOCIATION OF LAW SCHOOLS.
